US-Iran Nuclear Talks See 'Breakthrough'

The original 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed by Iran and the P5+1—the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (China, France, Russia, the UK, US) plus Germany. It strictly limited Iran's uranium enrichment to 3.67% purity and its stockpile to 202 kilograms in exchange for lifting economic sanctions. The United States unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in May 2018 under the Trump administration, re-imposing sanctions on Iran and any entities doing business with the country. In response, Iran began exceeding the deal's nuclear limits in 2019. Since the deal's collapse, Iran has significantly advanced its nuclear program, enriching uranium up to 60% purity, a level close to the 90% considered weapons-grade. As of May 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported Iran's stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium had grown to over 408 kilograms, enough material for multiple nuclear weapons if enriched further. Oman has historically served as a key intermediary for Washington and Tehran, which have had no formal diplomatic relations since 1980. The sultanate's distinct Ibadi school of Islam, separate from the Sunni-Shia divide, helps position it as a neutral party. Omani officials facilitated secret talks that paved the way for the original 2015 agreement. These negotiations follow a period of direct military conflict. In June 2025, Israel and Iran engaged in a 12-day war that involved Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites. The United States later intervened, bombing three Iranian nuclear facilities. The current indirect talks in Muscat involve Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid B